Food

This fish can kill you.
So why do people eat it?
It's not for the taste...

This was a busy two days as far as food goes. Yesterday a friend of mine from DC came to visit, he's here until Sunday. Before I had even left, my uncle recommended to me this authentic Neopolitan pizzeria found in Tokyo; it's supposed to be the best in all of Japan, and pretty close to what you can get in Naples. So we made a sort of pilgrimage there. It's in Roppongi Hills, a very high-rent district of Tokyo, home to all the designer stores. We were with a group of about eight, and when we got there they had no room for us inside. Some of the group wanted to try a different spot, but I could not be deterred. A friend who was with us speaks Japanese (thankfully; she's been kind enough to lead us around most of the trip), and she told the waiter that we would eat our pizza outside on some benches nearby. They only had two options, margherita or marinara, both done in a wood-fire oven. Apparently the chef/owner had studied for years in Naples to perfect the art. The pizza was in fact very good. Almost on the level of Di Matteo's. The portion definitely was not Italian, you get about 3/4 of the pizza for 1500 yen, about $15. One welcomed change was that there was some salt under the pizza in addition to the flour to keep it from sticking to the plate. I'm very glad I went, a nice pizza was a welcomed change of pace. And the company was excellent.

During the day today Steven and I went to Tokyo Tower. It's 333 meters high and modeled after the Eiffel Tower. We went up and got an amazing view of the city, despite the fact that it was a bit overcast.

Then tonight was the big night. My friend Steven and I went to try fugu, the poisonous blowfish. All fugu chefs have to be specially licensed, since eating a piece that was not properly cut can lead to paralysis and eventually death. We wanted to see what all the fuss was about. We went to a place that came highly recommended by a classmate. They had live blowfish in a tank and everything. When we sat down we were happy to find that they had an English menu, but the translation was so terrible it didn't do us any good. We ordered two things. The first was basically a blowfish carpaccio (raw), and the second was like a risotto with boiled blowfish mixed in. The only catch was that there was also a raw egg mixed in, making the whole thing all slimy. Both were moderately tasty. Based on the taste alone, I don't see why anybody would want to risk their life eating something that isn't exceptionally good. Well, it's all part of the experience, anyway. For a second I thought I felt light-headed or my mouth felt numb, but I'm pretty sure it was all in my head.

As we were paying at the register, we heard a loud thud behind us. The chef had just hacked the head off of a blowfish and was filleting it alive. It was pretty disgusting/awesome to watch. I hope I didn't distract him with the flash and make him cut the fish the wrong way...

Clean

You can't smoke on streets.
But you can in bars and clubs.
Weird. Go figure, huh?

Smoking on streets is prohibited here, and the rule is generally followed. In busy pedestrian areas they have little smoking nooks, and you'll see a bunch of people all standing around, looking down and smoking. Even in the rare case where people do break the rules and smoke on the street, they actually carry around a portable ashtray for their ashes and butts. That's just the way things work here - the city is extremely clean. The only place you can find a trash can is near a vending machine. People don't really litter, so it's rare to see anybody eating or drinking on the street. If somebody gets a drink from a vending machine they just drink it there and recycle the can (the drinks are smaller here, about half the size).

Speaking of trash, they have a pretty complicated system here. In our kitchen there are three trash cans - one each for combustibles, non-combustibles, and recyclables. There are different days of the week for taking out the different types of trash. In the apartment we take turns taking it out. One day my roommate absent-mindedly took the wrong type of trash to the street. That evening, there were notices on all the doors of our neighborhood, reminding everybody of the rules for separating trash.

There are some other differences in day-to-day life out here. For example, the toilet is in a room apart from the 'bathing room.' There's no sink in the toilet room. Instead, there's a spout on the top of the toilet, where the cover to the tank would be. The water that fills the bowl first flows through there for you to wash your hands. Oh, and most private toilets have that little mechanism to wash your butt. Ours doesn't work though. You have to plug in the toilet, and there's no outlet in our bathroom.

In the bathing room is our sink, vanity, and also our washing machine. Then in an adjoining room is the shower and bath. Traditionally, once is supposed to was up before going into the bathtub. This is because the bath is supposed to be a place to relax, and a family would use the same bathwater, taking turns going in.

My first few days here I didn't really know what to make of the bathing setup. The shower head is just sort of hanging on the wall, and there's no shower curtain, around the shower or in the tub. It's a tile floor, with no drain, so I didn't really know what the shower head was even doing there. So (much to my present embarrassment), I showered in the tub, always trying not to let ay water get anywhere. Well as it turns out, the whole room is a 'wet room.' The tile slopes towards the tub. Around the tub there is something like a moat, that serves as the drain. So now I know that using the shower is ok, much to my relief.

Another great weekend

I went to the beach,
Saw the Pacific Ocean.
It was a great day.

Well, the title about sums it up, it was a great weekend here in Tokyo. After dinner on Friday we headed out for the usual festivities in Roppongi. We started by grabbing a few beers at the convenience store and hanging out in the park. It was a nice tranquil start to the evening. After that we checked out a place called Heartland, this place that was supposed to be chock full of Japanese girls looking for foreign guys. Being a bunch of foreign guys, we decided to see what it was all about. After a fairly long walk we were pretty disappointed though, the place was packed with guys who had apparently heard the same things about Heartland that we had. So we left and went to our favorite place, Marine Hide-Out. It's a pretty wild place and we go pretty often, so the manager gives us a discount on drinks, and the free shots usually come out before the night is over. Not that we needed them. It turned into another long night, walking home to the rising sun.

Saturday might haev been my favorite day in Tokyo yet. When I checked into my apartment I got the email address of the girl in the office. She suggested going to the beach on Saturday, and I jumped at the chance. She took me to a place called Kamakura, a seaside town that reminded me of Newport to a certain extent. It was a cloudy day (as usual), but there were plenty of shops and shrines to check out. One of the local dishes there is called octopus paper; it's like a thin hard cookie, with octopus tentacles throughout it. I wasn't really feeling it, so Megumi bought me an ice cream, apple-mango, it was delicious.

There were a bunch of really cool shrines there, and we did a lot of walking. Unfortunately it started to rain, so we had to end our trip a little early. I was going to stay in because I was really tired from the night before, but it was a long train ride back to Tokyo and I slept for most of it, so I was feeling rejuvenated.

So I called a few of my friends who had met up for dinner and drinks. There's a girl on the program who was born and raised in Tokyo, and she takes some real enjoyment out of showing us around her hometown. As you might have gathered, we generally go out in Roppongi, the center for nightlife for foreigners. Our friend took us to Ginza, a completely different part of town. We went to a place called Clubtheque Genius, and we were the only foreigners in the place. It was loads of fun, the club was two levels and pretty packed. It was great to be off the beaten path and into an area more for locals.

As for today, I told myself that I was going to hang out at home and do some schoolwork, but I sort of got sidetracked by napping and watching Smallville on my computer. It's tough to get motivated, especially after that last exam we had.

Ohhhh, I almost forgot. I met a girl at the shopping mall here and got her email. She speaks almost no English, so our interactions are hysterical; here's a copy of the first email she sent me:

I'm sorry slowing the answer.
The sentence cannot be stricken in English.
However, because the site where Japanese was made English was found, it is
possible to finally answer.
Thank you for coming to the shop for the other day.
It was terrible and it was glad to come twice.
Are you for a long time in Japan?
Let's do tea by all means.

Priceless.

Rhode Island

Wherever you go,
Everyone knows Rhode Island.
OK, maybe not.

We had our first exam this morning, and I sure am glad I didn't study for it. The first question was basically a regurgitation of the first day of class, and for the second question our professor asked us to make up our own question and answer it. Ahhh, study abroad. After the exam we all went to an all-you-can-eat place. It was sort of like Fire & Ice in that you get all your food raw, but then you cook it on a small grill in the center of your table, and there is a sixty minute limit. When we first got there it was an absolutely crazy scene, tons of people trying to get their food and cook it as fast as they could. Things quieted down after a bit though, so we were all able to eat our fill. On one of my many trips to the buffet line I noticed a guy wearing a shirt that said Rhode Island on it. So I asked him if he spoke English. When he said no, I asked a friend of mine who speaks Japanese to ask if we could take a picture together. Turns out he wasn't Japanese either, so I just positioned him next to me and my friend took our picture. I wonder if has any clue what happened or even that Rhode Island is a place. Lunch was pretty filling; I think I'm the most full I've been since coming out here (which may not be saying much). Anyway, it was pretty wild seeing somebody with a Rhode Island t-shirt. Again, it was one of those feelings of connectedness, all the way out here on the other side of the world.

On the way home I had another such experience that should also tie together some blog posts quite nicely. I accompanied my friends to their metro stop where the school is located, and then set out on my 45-minute back to my apartment, I thought it would be a good way to digest. So I'm on my way home, and I spot a white guy, so we proceed to do the white guy head nod from afar. As we're getting closer to each other he starts asking me a question, so I took off my headphones and we chatted for a bit. It was his second day in Tokyo, and he was looking for grocery stores nearby. From how he was talking and the nervous look he had about him, I definitely saw my former self in him. Slightly overwhelmed by the big city, surprised at how different everything is, not sure if he had made the right decision. So I told him where he could go shopping, and then pointed him in the direction of some local real estate offices, since he mentioned he needed to look for an apartment. It was a cool feeling not just to be able to help somebody, but to have learned enough about Tokyo in the short time since I've been here to help out somebody less familiar with it than I am.

Best souvenir yet

Akihabara.
I got a samurai sword.
My bad, make that three.

Today I went back to Akihabara, the electronics epicenter of Tokyo. To be honest, I was expecting more cool gadgets - tiny cell phones, awesome digital cameras, robots, flying cars. But it was more like a huge concentration of electronics stores selling normal stuff. The phones here are actually pretty big, significantly bigger than the ones in the US. Although they're jacked up. I saw a phone today that was the size of a small digital camera. It looked like one of those Sony digital cameras where you slide the shutter cover down. It was a 5.1 megapixel camera. PS it was also a phone. It had a sliding number pad. So the phones might be bigger, but they've got a lot going on.

So a friend and I were on a mission to find a specific sword shop that was suggested to us. Apparently it is difficult/impossible to export an authentic, sharp sword from Japan, unless you're a museum or a super rich guy. And I'm neither. Sharp, hand-made samurai swords are designated as cultural treasures by the Japanese government, and they have strict rules about their export. So I had to settle for a decorative kind.

My friend and I were walking around asking for directions to this particular store we heard was exceptional. We asked a girl in a maid costume where it was, and she pointed us in the right direction. So we're walking around a little more, and decided to ask a construction worker for directions. I asked him the name of the place, and to our surprise, it was literally right behind us. We went up and the place was decked out with swords and other weapons. They were all replicas, but it was still impressive. I picked out some stuff that I wanted, and tried to negotiate down the price, which was sort of hard since the shopkeeper spoke limited English. he kept saying 'if you win, if you win.' Initially I was confused, but my friend finally discovered that this guy was challenging me to a rocks paper scissors match. What a fool! I actually brought a RPS Champion t-shirt. Good thing I didn't wear it, or he might not have challenged me. I obviously crushed him under an avalanche of rocks, and got a nice discount.

After buying the swords we met up with another friend and went to something called a maid cafe. We had all heard about them before coming here, so we decided to see what they're all about. The place is basically designed for pervs. The girls all wear maid outfits. They're not all that revealing; the shirts are sort of short but not excessively so. The decor was all pink and cute, there were lots of hearts all over and the girls talked in high-pitched voices. We had to pay 500 yen each for an hour of hanging out there, plus pay for food/drink, which was overpriced. I don't exactly see the point of these kind of places. Then again I don't see the point of anime, so maybe the two are related. Anyway, it was fun, and good to have a seat and hang out for a bit. I was going to get my picture taken with one of the girls to post it here, but that would have been another 500 yen, so I scratched that idea. Anyway, I've got a test tomorrow, so I've got lots of procrastinating to do before bed.

Take me out to the crowd

Time really flies here.

Having fun makes me busy.

No time for classes.

Time really does fly out here. Last night I went out again. It all started with a reception for students on the program. Then one of our professors took us out for drinks, and then I ended up back in Roppongi again. Our first stop was the Train Bar, a bar that was made from an old subway car. A cool idea, but it's really tiny, you could probably only fit about 15 people there, and even that would be squished. Anyway, one thing leads to another and it's another night spent watching the sun come up. I was dead tired all day today, and I just couldn't wait to get back home.

Today we had a tour of the Japanese Supreme Court. They even let us sit in the Justices' chairs, it was pretty fun. I think I look a lot like a Japanese Supreme Court Justice in this picture.

After the tour we went to a baseball game! We saw the Tokyo Giants play at the Tokyo Dome. I had never been inside a dome before. It was pretty cool, although I definitely prefer outside games. The game was a ton of fun. Man, the crowd can really cheer! I felt like I was at a European soccer game, there were huge flags and lots of singing. The home team won, which was a bonus I guess. A friend of mine almost caught a home run ball! Our seats were really good, we were right down the third base line in about the third row. There was a roller coaster right next to the stadium, but unfortunately we got there a little late and the game had already started, so we couldn't ride it. Hopefully I'll be able to make it back there, but there's so much to do who knows!

The weekend

Out till eleven.
It's a very lofty goal.
I didn't make it.

So like I mentioned before, my friends and I were intent on breaking my roommate's record of staying out until 11 am. We had a good plan - hit the bars/clubs, then have sushi at the fish market, then just sort of play it by ear for a bit.
Well, it was a great night, and I had a great time...but I regretfully did not break my roommate's record.

We started our night in the traditional fashion. Drinking before going out drinking; always a good decision. Then we went to an English pub for a bit and hung out there until a little after midnight. Then we left for the club, where we were meeting up with some friends. Most clubs around here have a pretty high cover charge, so it's pretty much unavoidable. The price to get in was 3500 yen, about $35. Although when we went inside I told the girl collecting money that the bouncer downstairs had promised us a lower price. After thinking about it for a second she let me and my friends in. I hope she's not reading this.

The place was absolutely packed inside. You couldn't dance so much as be moved by the crowd. Which is fine with me, I'm not much of a dancing/club scene kind of guy anyway. There was a breakdancing contest going on. I thought about joining in, but then I remembered that I can't breakdance, so I decided against it. We left the club around 5, still intent on staying out, so we decided to head to the fish market.

Continuing in our illustrious tradition of pregaming, we decided to eat before going to the fish market for sushi. Actually, it was more to wait for the trains to start running again. Whatever the motive, we grabbed a quick bite to eat, then headed for the subway. We somehow managed to find our way to the fish market. I think I mentioned this before, but it's where all the fishing boats come in and unload their catch to sell it at auction. The boats arrive early, so the market is busiest from 3-4, or so I've heard. We must have arrived there at around 630, as things were just wrapping up:

Yes, that's a mountain of styrofoam containers. Even though things were winding down, the activity at this place was unbelievable. There stands as far as the eye could see of small independent salesmen selling the freshest catch. There was processing and cutting of fish taking place, the bigger fish being flash frozen and passed through a huge bandsaw. There were tourists ogling the disgusting sights, and last minute shoppers making purchases. It was a wild scene and I'm glad we made it there.



Finally we settled on a sushi restaurant and got platters of sushi that were still swimming in the ocean earlier that morning. Now I'm no connoisseur, but it was hands down the best sushi/nigiri I had ever tasted (that's right, note the precise terminology). So all in all it was a great night, but at the table eating sushi is where our resolve left us. So we all got on the train and went our separate ways home. I was in bed by 8:30 or so. A valiant effort for sure, but alas I fell short of the finish line.
















So let's say I fell asleep around 9; I woke up around 11 and couldn't manage to fall back asleep. I blame it on my 'bed' - a traditional Japanese futon, aka mattress on the ground. So I talked to some friends of mine and we decided to go check out Tokyo tower. It looks a lot like the Eiffel Tower, only it's red. Behind it we found this really cool park to explore. There were some disgusting-looking hippies there, meditating right in the middle of the path. I thought they were homeless at first, but then they started doing some weird yoga stuff. Anyway, we went back and I rested in my friend's hotel room until dinnertime. We went to an Okonomiyaki restaurant. You order and they bring you the raw food in a bowl with a raw egg. Then you mix it all up and pour it on the griddle that is in the center of your table. It's sort of like an omelette and a pancake combined, then there's all different Japanese ingredients inside; ranging from noodles to beef to pork, rice, etc. Then we went and sang karaoke. Here you get your own private room with your friends, and the waitress comes when you press a button to call her. It was all very good fun. By the end of the night I was beat though, having gotten only a few hours' sleep the night before. Speaking of tired, I'm pooped. Goodnight, and happy fathers' day.

Oh, ps there was a small earthquake tonight. It was my first time experiencing one and it was pretty unnerving. I mean, the ground moves under your feet; the one thing that you wouldn't ever imagine could move. It was wild. All part of the adventure...